Osprey Avenue bridge to close around Aug. 1 so work can get underway for Lift Station 87 project

Traffic to be diverted from the area for 12 months, City of Sarasota staff says

Project details are provided on the City of Sarasota’s webpage dedicated to Lift Station 87. Image courtesy City of Sarasota

The Osprey Avenue Bridge is scheduled to be closed Monday, Aug. 1, so microtunneling can proceed for the Lift Station 87 project, the City of Sarasota has announced.

The closure will last 12 months while crews install a wastewater gravity main under Hudson Bayou, a news release explains. As the closure nears, crews will place detour signs that will direct motorists to use Mound Street, U.S. 41 and Hillview Street in lieu of Osprey Avenue, the release adds.

“Variable message boards will be placed along key roads to provide residents, commuters and business owners with advance notice of the closure. The bridge will also be closed to pedestrians and bicyclists,” the release notes.

“We’re still reviewing the detailed schedule, but construction could occur as early at the start of August,” said Sarasota Utility Director Mitt Tidwell in the release. “We know this will be inconvenient for residents, commuters and visitors, but it is a necessary step to building a more reliable, environmentally sound wastewater system.”

During a public meeting scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, residents and business owners may learn more about the project and offer suggestions regarding the initial maintenance-of-traffic plans for Phase 1, the release points out. That session will be held in the SRQ Media Studio, located at 1565 First St. in downtown Sarasota. Updated architectural renderings for the Lift Station 87 structure also will be presented at that time, the release adds. Information shared at the public meeting will be posted on the project web site, www.liftstation87.com.

The new Lift Station 87 will replace Lift Station 7, which is located at 935 Pomelo Ave. Wastewater flow will be redirected from Lift Station 7 to Lift Station 87, located in Luke Wood Park, the release says. Lift Station 87 construction will be undertaken in three phases. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020.